Counseling License from Louisiana to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Ohio accept a Louisiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Ohio — both Louisiana and Ohio are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and your Louisiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Ohio without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Ohio, you will need an Ohio license once Ohio becomes your home state.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Louisiana and Ohio are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Louisiana and want to see clients located in Ohio, in person or by telehealth, you do not need an Ohio license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Louisiana license and Louisiana as your primary residence, you buy an Ohio privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Ohio jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Ohio becomes your home state and you must obtain an Ohio license from the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What's different between Louisiana and Ohio
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Ohio. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Louisiana to Ohio (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Ohio to Louisiana (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Louisiana matter?
Coming from Louisiana matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Ohio.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Louisiana and Ohio are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Ohio while Louisiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Ohio needs an Ohio license.
- Application fee
Ohio lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Louisiana lists $300 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Louisiana lists 6–8 weeks for the reverse move; Ohio has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Ohio and Louisiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Ohio (this move): National exam is not retaken: NCE (or NCMHCE) results are sent by NBCC score transfer or submitted with the application, and the 7-year exam-age limit is waived for applicants licensed in an equivalent capacity in another state. No separate jurisprudence exam; applicants must watch the Board's online Laws and Rules video.
- Louisiana (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants show passage of the NCE or NCMHCE with an official score report sent directly from NBCC; under amended LAC 46:LX.1101(A) (Notice of Intent, Sept. 2024) an applicant with at least 1 year of practice may instead complete an oral exam administered by the Board. No state jurisprudence exam is listed for endorsement; applicants submit a Declaration of Practices and Procedures instead.
What changes, Louisiana → Ohio
| Louisiana (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $300 (non-refundable out-of-state licensure application, license and seal fee (Board fee schedule item 2; also stated on the LPC endorsement application); optional $60 expedited processing; fingerprint background check costs separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Louisiana charges $130 + $30 commission fee = $160 total, no jurisprudence exam.) | $100 (LPCC reciprocity application fee per OAC 4757-1-05 and the Board's out-of-state page ('$100 + $3.50 processing', re-read 2026-09-27); + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; BCI/FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-transfer fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Ohio charges $25 + $30 commission admin fee = $55 for a privilege, per the commission's fee table).) |
| Processing time | 6–8 weeks (Board states 'allow 2-3 weeks for milestones to be updated and at least 6-8 weeks for application approval once the application is completed'; expedited processing ($60) gets a staff response within 5 business days, but files referred for Board review wait for the next meeting) | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist) |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Ohio: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Ohio through the compact commission and complete any Ohio jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Ohio: apply for an Ohio license with the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the move cost?
To work in Ohio while living in Louisiana: a $30 commission fee plus Ohio's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Ohio license: $100 (LPCC reciprocity application fee per OAC 4757-1-05 and the Board's out-of-state page ('$100 + $3.50 processing', re-read 2026-09-27); + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; BCI/FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-transfer fee separate.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Ohio jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. An Ohio license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist)
Can I see Ohio clients by telehealth while living in Louisiana?
Yes, on an Ohio privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Ohio, as long as your Louisiana license stays active and unencumbered and Louisiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Louisiana to Ohio, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Ohio is your home state and you need an Ohio license. Because both states are compact members, Ohio verifies you through the compact's data system, and you complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Louisiana 2026-09-27, Ohio 2026-10-29.
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Out of State Applicants (counselor reciprocity steps and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counselors (LPC/LPCC application instructions, exam policy) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board Laws and Rules compilation (ORC 4757.18; OAC 4757-1-05, 4757-13-03, 4757-13-06) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counseling Compact Privileges (eligibility, $25 state fee, go-live 2026-01-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Louisiana LPC Board: Application Information (endorsement applications, background checks, 6-8 week processing; Internet Archive capture 2026-02-19) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: Application for Licensure by Endorsement as LPC ($300, NCE/NCMHCE, 5-year practice rule; Internet Archive capture 2026-06-16) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: Fee Schedule (Internet Archive capture 2026-04-14) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: FAQ (LPC by endorsement, 40 CE hours; Internet Archive capture 2026-05-19) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana Register Notice of Intent: LAC 46:LX.1101 Endorsement (Act 253 of 2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Louisiana 2026-09-27, Ohio 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com